An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
